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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 554 · 40 questions
TalentJR

Writer's tip (Show the actions): A telling sentence names the feeling: was sad, felt tired. A showing sentence describes actions, faces and bodies: tears, yawns, shaking knees. Pick the showing sentence that fits the right feeling.

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  1. 1.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is angry? (a) Priya folded her arms and glared at her brother. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Priya’s cheek. (c) Priya was angry.
  2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) tired (b) cold (c) sad
  3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is angry? (a) Aarav was angry. (b) Aarav gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Aarav threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) cold (b) bored (c) angry
  5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav felt very scared.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya was bored.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.”     (a) happy (b) hungry (c) scared
  8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Aarav’s cheek.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is happy? (a) Meera stamped her foot and slammed the door. (b) Meera hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Meera was happy.
  10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav was bored.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is bored? (a) Arjun’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (b) Arjun was bored. (c) Arjun counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is scared? (a) Rohan was scared. (b) Rohan’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (c) Rohan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) hungry (b) bored (c) scared
  14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is angry? (a) Aarav was angry. (b) Aarav folded his arms and glared at his brother. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Aarav’s cheek.
  15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is sad? (a) Sneha was sad. (b) Tears filled Sneha’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (c) Sneha rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tara was angry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha felt very sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is happy? (a) Arjun shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (b) Arjun was happy. (c) Arjun grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is happy? (a) Sahil was happy. (b) Sahil rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (c) Sahil grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Maria laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) happy (b) bored (c) angry
  22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Kavya’s cheek.”     (a) hungry (b) sad (c) scared
  23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.”     (a) cold (b) sad (c) angry
  24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is sad? (a) Tenzin was sad. (b) Tenzin’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (c) Tenzin folded his arms and glared at his brother.
  26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) hungry (b) sad (c) angry
  27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is hungry? (a) Farhan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (b) Farhan was hungry. (c) Farhan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya was tired.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) happy (b) bored (c) hungry
  30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is cold? (a) Yash’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Yash’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (c) Yash was cold.
  32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is scared? (a) Kavya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (b) Kavya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Kavya was scared.
  33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.”     (a) bored (b) angry (c) sad
  34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran felt very happy.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) tired (b) cold (c) happy
  36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is sad? (a) Nisha’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (b) Nisha was sad. (c) Nisha beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tears filled Priya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is angry? (a) Sneha was angry. (b) Sneha’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (c) Sneha’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.
  39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is hungry? (a) Imran’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (b) Imran kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Imran was hungry.
  40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph felt very hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling

Answer key

  1. Priya folded her arms and glared at her brother.
  2. tired
  3. Aarav threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  4. cold
  5. telling
  6. telling
  7. scared
  8. showing
  9. Meera hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  10. telling
  11. Arjun counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  12. Rohan’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  13. bored
  14. Aarav folded his arms and glared at his brother.
  15. Tears filled Sneha’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.
  16. telling
  17. telling
  18. Arjun grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  19. showing
  20. Sahil grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  21. happy
  22. sad
  23. cold
  24. showing
  25. Tenzin’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  26. hungry
  27. Farhan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  28. telling
  29. bored
  30. showing
  31. Yash’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  32. Kavya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
  33. sad
  34. telling
  35. happy
  36. Nisha’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.
  37. showing
  38. Sneha’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.
  39. Imran kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  40. telling

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